Even though the story “The Hand” by Colette can be looked at through several different lenses such as cultural or gender studies, the use of a Psychological lense can get the overall view of the story while still staying true to the ideas Colette was trying to get across. The story starts with a women who is just married and as happy as can be. As the story progresses her psychological behavior deteriorates as she notices something about her husband. By looking at the wife's the characters desires, behaviors, and emotions the reader can see how she changes through a psychological lense.
By looking at the wife's first psychological state of desire the reader can see what she truly wanted at the beginning of this story. The wife truly wants to be loved like any other young women in her 20’s would want to be. Young women not only want to have love but an adventure and handsome man to go along with it. To satisfy the needs of women this age…show more content… Once she starts noticing the hand and what it looks and acts likes, a switch turns in her head. She was so young and vulnerable in her desires a change in her perfect husband seems to rock the boat of her psychological behaviors. For example the wife begins shouting in her head, “‘It’s as if I were lying on some animal,’” (283) and “‘It’s so big! It really is bigger than my whole head’” (283). The wife almost begins to become unstable and has an anxiety attack. This once perfect man is becoming a monster in matter of seconds. The wife could be described as almost bi-polar. One minutes when all of her desires are being met she is on cloud 9, however once she begins to notice the small and insignificant details of a hand she freaks out and thinks this marriage is over. Her behaviors are on a rollercoaster and can’t be contained whereas a more mature older women in this situation would be able to control her